The
Phuket
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
about Living on Phuket
Where is Phuket?
Phuket is in the south of Thailand.
West of the mainland peninsula in the
Andaman Sea and about 70 minutes flying time south of Bangkok, about 70 minutes north of Kuala Lumpur
and about 90 minutes north of
Singapore. The island is joined to mainland Thailand by a couple
of short perhaps half-a-kilometer long bridges. Phuket is in the
tropics.
How
do you get to Phuket?
Phuket has an international airport and can
usually be reached directly from many
major Asian and some European cities - but through Bangkok if not
directly. Though Phuket is only a short flight from Bangkok, it is a long 12-14 hour
bus ride if you choose to take a bus from Bangkok (not recommended!).
Flights to and from Bangkok are not expensive, particularly now that
several smaller regional airlines are competing for business.
Flights can be found for as low as US$30 or even less sometimes from Nok
Air, Air Aisa, Phuket Air, Thai Orient and perhaps a couple new
companies by the time this page gets posted on the website. The
standard carriers are, of course, Thai Air and Bangkok Air. A
regional from Singapore, Tiger Air, also has inexpensive flights and
Silk Air, Singapore Air's little sister, also has reasonably priced
fares.
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Do
people enjoy living on Phuket?
Most people who live on
Phuket, absolutely, positively love it.
Good things abound, the people are kind-hearted and gentle, the
sea incredibly beautiful, the countryside magnificent, the cost of
living inexpensive to reasonable if you live modestly - outrageous if
you wish to go upscale..
Phuket is growing up fast
with major conveniences, big shopping malls,
multiplex cinemas, and first world services are coming online daily.
Multi-million dollar neighborhoods and the services to support them are
popping up all around the island.
The
Living on Phuket web pages are
designed to answer most of your questions in this area.
What's it like on Phuket?
The island is about 530 square kilometers - so not so small you'll get
claustrophobic, but not so big you can get really lost. In the
neighborhood of 250,000 people live on Phuket, but the population varies
with a workforce that grows and shrinks with high and low tourist
season. Tourism is the major industry. The larger
cities, Patong and Phuket Town, can seem crowded in high season, but there are
also many
smaller communities that retain a rural sense to them and are very
pleasant places to live - close enough to conveniences - far enough away
from congestion.
Is it all tourists and tourism?
No! There is normal - non-tourist life on the island
too.
Traditional Thai lifestyle persists in the rural areas and smaller
communities away from the resorts - and often right on the doorsteps of
the resorts. You just have to avoid the heavily touristed areas.
Many foreigners
live in small towns and villages that are
still probably 90-95-98%
Thai. If you avoid the southern part of the island - and particularly
the Chalong, Patong, Kata, Karon areas, you will avoid most of the
mess. But . . . the tourism base does bring conveniences, services, and
other things that can make life much more convenient - as well as a
plethora of great international restaurants!
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Who lives on Phuket?
The vast majority of the population is Thai and many of them have migrated
from other areas within Thailand in search of good jobs in the tourism
industry. There is a also good size population of foreigners who
work or are retired on the island. Also present is a small group of
wealthy foreigners who maintain vacation homes on the island. The original
make up of the island was of Thai, Chinese and ethnic Malay
peoples.
Is it expensive to live on Phuket?
Quite a relative question - and it all depends on your lifestyle - but you
can probably bring that lifestyle here and live much less
expensively with it than you could in the Western world. Check out
the Cost of Living page and its links on this
website.
What about Jobs on Phuket?
The hospitality industry here creates a wide range of possibilities for
people who want to come here and work. The
Working on Phuket
pages on this
website covers the issues in more depth.
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How about Internet access on Phuket?
ADSL is available on
almost all of the island these days and usually works well.
Do I need a visa to visit Phuket?
Many nationalities may
enter Thailand for 30 days without obtaining a visa prior to their
arrival. Check the
Immigration page and it's link to Thailand Immigration to be sure.
Sixty-day tourist visas are obtainable
for many nationalities before leaving their countries and can be usually be renewed for up to 30 more days
(at the
discretion of the immigration officials of course). So, an extended stay is
easy to do if you want to thoroughly check the island out.
Are there
inexpensive places to stay on Phuket?
Of course! And if you really want cheap - go to
Patong Budget Hotels and
Karon and
Kata Budget Hotels pages where
they have modestly priced hotels.
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Do I need a car on Phuket?
If you intend to live
on the island, maybe yes. Transportation systems on the island are quite
limited in availability, scope, and comfort. Most songthaews
(trucks with benches in the back) run only from about 6am
to 6pm and not on a super regular schedule. Motorcycle taxis can be
cheap but you'll have to negotiate each ride and the driving is not
always so safe. Tuk tuks cruise the tourist centers and are famous
for charging outrageous fees (always negotiate before you get in).
Metered taxis are slowly becoming available, but you'll need to call and
arrange in advance as they do not cruise for fares.
If you rent a car, be sure you have good
first-class insurance.
For more information check out the
Transportation
page of this website.
What things are there to do on Phuket?
Just about anything that you could do at home and a whole lot more.
Opera and symphony concerts though are few and far between.
Scuba, snorkel, para-sailing, go-carting, movies, fine dining, hanging
on the beach, country drives - just about everything and anything - can be and is
done here.
Check the
Things to do page on this
website.
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How Westernized is Phuket?
Just enough and not too much. Just enough to be able to find the
services and goods you want and need, and not enough to be burdened with
the crime and high-pressure lifestyle of the West. The people still
have an unhurried and pleasant charm (if you get out of Patong!).
And, btw, most people speak English well enough that you can usually
solve most problems easily.
What about crime on Phuket?
No where near as
bad as in most Western countries. Check the
Is Phuket Safe?
page. There can be
some petty crime but most serious crime such as murder seems to come
from a local "mafia" and as long as you don't play in those ranks,
you are pretty safe. Phuket still has a small town feel to it,
where your neighbors will know who is coming and going and tend to
watch out for each other - and you (particularly once you have proven
yourself to be a good neighbor. Aren't we all a bit careful at first?).
What about the schools on Phuket?
There are two "real" international schools on the island -
QSI International
School (an American style curriculum) and
the British Curriculum School. There are several "wannabe"
international schools - that are not really. There is a university
of decent local reputation -
Prince of Songkla
University - which even has an MBA program in English. Several
lesser community colleges are around as is the Phuket Rajabhat
University - which was originally a two-year teacher's college, now with
expanded programs.
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How is the health care system on Phuket?
The services available
on Phuket are quite good. Check out the
Medical Care page on this website for
information on the local "international standard" hospitals and clinics.
Can I bring my pet?
Of course! Don't abandon Spot or Fido
to make the move. The requirements for bringing a pet are relatively
straightforward. Check with your airline for detailed information,
they will know what is required for you to enter the country with your
pet.
How can I find out more about Phuket?
The best place to start is the
Phuket Gazette
- Phuket's English language weekly newspaper. Check out their classified pages -
you can go back 72 days - to check prices on cars, houses, jobs, and
anything else you might want to know.
There really is a lot of good information out there. You need not
arrive and be surprised about anything here - except about how much you
will love this beautiful island.
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